Savage Man Charged With Attempted Murder Following September 2nd Shooting, SWAT Response
Published: September 8, 2026.
SAVAGE, MINNESOTA: A Savage man has been charged with attempted murder and two other felonies following a September 2, 2026 shooting in a residential neighborhood that left another man critically injured and prompted a significant police response, including a perimeter and tactical operations near 143rd Street and Utica Avenue.
Michael Anton Moss, 46, is charged in Scott County District Court on September 4, 2026, with second-degree attempted murder without premeditation, first-degree assault causing great bodily harm, and possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime of violence. The attempted murder and first-degree assault charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the firearm charge carries a potential prison sentence of five to 15 years, according to the criminal complaint. Moss is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 8.
The charges stem from the large police response that unfolded late afternoon on September 2 in the 14000 block of Utica Avenue, an incident that Limitless Media News previously reported on: One Hospitalized With Serious Injuries, Another in Custody After Shooting in Savage.
According to the complaint, Savage police officers were dispatched at approximately 4:55 p.m. for a weapons-in-progress call. A woman told dispatch that a neighbor had pulled a gun on her and that her fiancé, later identified as Moss, had fired multiple shots. Officers were subsequently directed to a nearby residence on 143rd Street, less than a block away.
Map showing the rough location where this incident occurred in Savage, Minnesota, on September 2, 2026.
Officers Find Man Suffering From Multiple Gunshot Wounds
When an officer arrived at the 143rd Street residence, the officer reported finding a man on the front porch covered in blood. According to the complaint, there was a large amount of blood on the porch, and the man had multiple wounds. After cutting off his shirt, an officer observed several apparent gunshot wounds to his chest, stomach and arm.
The wounded man allegedly told police that he had gone to a nearby home to confront a man about an earlier incident involving his daughter. He told officers that when he went to the other residence, the man "just shot me," according to the complaint. The victim claimed he had nothing on him that could have been perceived as a threat. Police showed him a photograph of Moss, and the victim identified Moss as the person who had shot him, the complaint alleges.
Police initially moved the man to a safe location at the Savage Fire Department, where medical care could be provided, before transporting him to Hennepin County Medical Center. Investigators later learned he was undergoing surgery and was in critical condition after suffering six gunshot wounds, according to the complaint.
Dispute Allegedly Began With Encounter Between Dogs
Investigators allege the shooting followed an earlier encounter involving members of the two households and their dogs. According to a woman interviewed at the 143rd Street residence, her teenage daughter was walking a dog when its leash became tangled around another woman's feet as the dog tried to play with the other woman's dog.
The woman told investigators that the other woman pulled a firearm from her purse. However, the teenage girl later told police that she did not actually see a gun and instead said the woman threatened to shoot the dog if it was not controlled. The woman said she told the eventual shooting victim what had happened. He allegedly responded that the situation was unacceptable and walked toward the neighboring home to speak with a man there.
Less than three minutes later, according to the complaint, she heard approximately three gunshots, possibly more. The man then returned toward the residence screaming and bleeding.
Police Establish Perimeter Around Utica Avenue Home
Officers established a perimeter around the Utica Avenue residence following the shooting. People inside the home were directed to exit, and Moss was the first person to come outside, according to the complaint. Police allege that as he was taken into custody, Moss made a statement to the effect of, "Yeah, I'm the suspect."
Officers transported him to the Savage Police Department, where he was interviewed after being advised of his rights.
The incident resulted in a significant law enforcement presence in the neighborhood. Savage Police previously said multiple people were initially taken into custody as officers investigated the shooting, while the Tri-City Tactical Team assisted with safely clearing two nearby homes.
Photo from the scene of the incident showing the large police response.
Moss Claims He Fired in Self-Defense
During his interview with investigators, Moss gave a substantially different account of the confrontation, claiming that he fired because he believed the other man was armed and was attempting to draw a handgun. Moss told investigators that earlier in the day he and his fiancée were walking with their young child when they encountered a female walking a dog. According to his account, the dogs began circling one another and the other dog eventually knocked his fiancée to the ground.
Moss said the group later returned home and, approximately 15 to 20 minutes later, heard loud banging on their front door.
When Moss opened the door, he allegedly encountered the eventual shooting victim, whom he described as confrontational. Moss told police the man yelled racial slurs and other profanities as the two argued in the entryway. According to Moss' account, his fiancée retrieved a handgun from their bedroom and came to the doorway. Moss claimed he saw a firearm holstered on the other man's hip and alleged that the man had his hand on the weapon.
Moss further alleged that the man pushed his fiancée into him and began pulling the firearm from its holster. Moss told investigators he then grabbed the handgun from his fiancée's waistband, initially fired a shot into the air above the man's head, and then began shooting at him as the confrontation continued. Moss maintained that he acted in self-defense because the man had allegedly come to his residence armed, confronted him and assaulted both him and his fiancée.
He also told investigators that he and the shooting victim had never previously met or spoken to one another.
Search Warrants Uncover Guns, Casings, and Blood Evidence
Police subsequently executed search warrants at both residences. Investigators reported finding a suspected blood trail extending from the Utica Avenue residence toward the home on 143rd Street.
Outside the Utica Avenue home, officers located six 9mm brass cartridge casings, including casings in mulch and grass near the entrance and one on the front step. Police also recovered a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol inside the Utica Avenue residence near a coffee pot in the kitchen/living room area, according to the complaint. Investigators found a soft leather pistol holster in the garage.
At the shooting victim's residence, investigators reported finding a large amount of apparent blood inside the front door, living room, and kitchen area, with blood pooling near the top of the basement stairs. A search of a safe in the basement uncovered numerous firearms, according to the complaint. Among the weapons specifically identified by investigators were a Ruger 57 pistol, Glock 21 pistol, Springfield .45-caliber pistol, and Remington 870 shotgun.
Officers also reported seeing multiple AR-15-style rifles, Draco-style firearms, handguns, extended and drum magazines, ammunition and a bullet-resistant vest.
Investigators said one handgun inside the safe appeared to have dried blood on its trigger, handguard, and slide.
Complaint Says Both Men Were Prohibited From Possessing Firearms
According to the criminal complaint, investigators conducted criminal history checks and determined that both Moss and the shooting victim were prohibited from possessing firearms.
The complaint alleges Moss' criminal history includes felony convictions in Cook County, Illinois for drug possession, manufacturing of drugs, and delivery a controlled substance dating back to 1996 to 2002, as well as a 2005 terroristic threats case in Hennepin County. Investigators said a Minnesota records check also showed Moss was disqualified from possessing firearms. That history forms the basis of the third felony count against Moss alleging illegal firearm possession by a person previously convicted of a crime of violence.
We have reached out to the Scott County Attorney’s Office to see if any additional charges are expected or being filed. We will provide an update once we know more.
Complaint Details Statement During Transport and Surveillance Video
The complaint also describes statements Moss allegedly made while being transported to the Scott County Jail. Investigators allege Moss made multiple unsolicited statements, including saying that if his fiancée had not been present, he did not plan to leave the residence and police "would've had to end his life."
Police also learned that the Utica Avenue residence had an interior surveillance camera and reviewed footage recorded around the time of the shooting. According to the complaint, the video showed people inside the residence initially moving around calmly before yelling could be heard. Shortly afterward, Moss and his fiancée returned upstairs.
Investigators reported hearing the woman ask Moss why he had done what he did. The footage allegedly showed Moss pacing while the woman held a handgun, which was later placed on a ledge near the stairs. While on the phone, the woman could allegedly be heard describing the confrontation, including saying that a neighbor had come to the residence, pulled a gun, and pushed Moss.
The criminal complaint presents competing accounts of the confrontation: the wounded man told police he was unarmed and was shot after going to speak with Moss, while Moss told investigators that the man was armed, attempted to draw a firearm, and that he fired in self-defense. Those allegations have not been proven in court.
Moss remains charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and illegal firearm possession. His bail hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Scott County District Court.
Limitless Media News will continue to follow the case as it moves through the court system. If additional charges are announced, we will provide those updates.
Provided by Scott County Jail. Pictured: Michael Anton Moss
Written By: Will Wight
